I mentioned in an earlier post that July is a month of milestones. In addition to our 30th anniversary and my 60th birthday, I celebrated my 5th “blogiversary” last week. It felt appropriate to share some thoughts on my 5 years of blogging, along with a roundup of highlights of the past year.
I can’t believe it has been 5 years
When I nervously pressed Publish on that first blog post, I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know anything about SEO, feature photos, alt text, tags, categories, headline analyzers, or any of the other things that are now so automatic when I publish a new post. And I’m pretty sure AI felt like something from a science-fiction movie.
In July 2019, I also had no idea if anyone would read my posts or subscribe to my blog. And I wasn’t thinking far enough ahead to wonder if I’d still be blogging five years later. Yet here I am.
5 reasons I’m still blogging
A few weeks ago, someone asked me what I get out of blogging. It’s a good question and one that I think only a fellow blogger would really understand the answer to. As I thought about it, I came up with 5 reasons I’m still blogging.
- My blog is a creative outlet and a way to make sense of my thoughts and ideas. And unlike my other creative endeavours like singing, it’s something I don’t need to depend on others to do with me.
- Even after 5 years of blogging, there’s always something new to learn.
- Blogging helps me improve my writing skills which has opened the door to some exciting writing projects.
- Unlike most other online forums, the blogging community is friendly, supportive, and welcoming.
- My blog is a way to record the stories and highlights of my life. As I get older, I realize how precious those stories are.
5 highlights of year 5
It’s always fun to look back over the last year. Here are 5 highlights of year 5.
- In October, I joined the talented group of writers at Wise & Shine where I publish a new post every Monday.
- I was delighted when Happy Eco News, one of my favourite eco sites, asked me in January to write a guest post for their site. Microforests Take Root in Communities Around the World went live on January 12.
- The Climate Change Collective I started with Jamie from Jamie Ad Stories is still going strong. We’ll celebrate our second anniversary next month.
- One of my 60 before 60 goals was to guest on a podcast. Blogging friends Wynne Leon and Vicki Anderson made it happen in October when I joined them for Episode 39 of the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast.
- The reboot of my 2021 52 Weeks of Decluttering challenge is spreading my message of simplicity to a whole new audience…and it’s helping me clear the clutter too!
Let’s keep in touch! Join my mailing list and I’ll email you when I add a new post.
5 favourite posts of the last year
I do look at my blog stats, but I don’t obsess about them. I could chase numbers by writing click-baity posts about trendy topics that don’t really interest me. But I prefer to write content that means something to me and will appeal to my core audience. With that in mind, here are five favourite posts from year five.
- A Campbell River sunrise inspired this poem was my first attempt at poetry writing.
- My reboot of the 52 Week Decluttering challenge inspired a trip down memory lane and a reprise of the Clutter Tales series with Don’t step on my blue suede bowling shoes.
- In Taking a break to fuel my musical obsession, I reflected on my lifelong love of Queen and all the wonderful people it has brought into my life.
- Travel packing tips to make long and short trips easier was a roundup of my tips for packing light and travelling with just a carry on. It’s a skill I’ve perfected over many years of business travel.
- Finally, I love writing The Sunday Spark posts and I could have included many of them on this top 5 list. In the end I chose one from early June: The Sunday Spark – A portfolio of friends and connections.
Writing this type of post always raises the question, “What’s next?” Now that I’m retired from my full-time job, I have more time to write and explore different writing projects. In addition to regular posts here on Boomer Eco Crusader, I’m working on a book project and planning to start a retirement coaching blog.
I’ll wrap up with a big Thank You to you for reading and supporting my blog. I love the engagement and truly appreciate every view, like and share. I wouldn’t have made it to 5 years of blogging without you.
What type of content do you enjoy reading on my blog? Drop me a comment below to let me know.
Kudos, Michelle! My fave posts include your mentioning the progress you’ve made when you set goals. I find that very inspiring. And I agree about the kindness of our blogging community. What would we do without the goodwill and support of others?! 🙂
Thanks Lisa. Yes, I’m always grateful for our lovely community here.
Congrats on 5 years of blogging Michelle. Lots of great milestones for you this month. Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate it.
Congrats!!
Thank you!
Woo hoo! Congratulations on your Five-Year Blogging Anniversary, Michelle! I am so incredibly proud of you and the phenomenal blog you have created! You are an inspiration to me every day! Cher xoxoxo
Thank you Cher! You inspired me to do this and you were such a big help to me in getting my website up and running. Thank you for that! Hard to believe it has been 5 years. 💚
Ah, thank YOU so much, Michelle! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness! Isn’t that unreal? I would have said, oh, two years? LOL Cher xoxoxo
Congratulations on 5 years, that is quite the milestone.
I am so impressed that you have kept up your schedule so well. Your success is well-deserved!
Thank you so much. I got into a groove during the pandemic and managed to keep it up. I’ve learned so much from this little blog!
Congratulations on your 5th anniversary. Enjoying writing and blogging is so important and that comes across in your work.
Thanks, Brenda. One my the things I’ve tried to achieve on my blog—and in life in general—is keeping a tone of authenticity.
Congrats on the milestone, and hoping you’re here for another 5 years and beyond. Cheers!
Thank you, Erin! I’m hoping to keep my blog going for a long time!
Congratulations on your 5 year blog-aversary! That’s a milestone of commitment, perseverance and growth. As someone who has been blogging for only a year and a half, I appreciate your list of reasons to keep on blogging. It’s inspiring!
Thank you Caroline. It’s hard to believe it has been five years. As I work through cleaning up and refreshing my older posts, I see how far I’ve come as a writer.
Congratulations, Michelle. Your post hits the same reasons I like to blog. So many other social media sites are phony, judgmental, or havens for trolls. I get none of that here. We started blogging around the same time.
Thank you Pete. Yes, I am always grateful for our wonderful community of creatives here. It’s wonderful to be able to have thoughtful conversation.
Congratulations, Michelle! Thank you for providing your readers with meaningful content, delivered with that special dash of Michelle goodness. Appreciate you! 🥰
Thanks so much for being a loyal reader, Vicki! Sorry for the delay in replying. For some reason your comment got buried amid a bunch of spam comments.
No worries! That’s been happening to me, too. Weird spam filtering! Big hugs. 🥰
I think the spam filters are in overdrive because of all the bots. I suppose we can thank AI for that. Hugs to you too, my friend! 🤗
I bet you’re right! Bot…I am not! LOL! 😜
😂🤖😂
Glad blogging is something you enjoy Michelle! You have a well-rounded blog with lots to say so keep at it 🙂
My interest in writing is waning as each year goes by but I’ve been writing for close to 20 years. I’m finding that I would really rather just read and comment more than anything.
Thank you Deb! I do wonder how long I’ll keep up the motivation. Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with reading, commenting, and writing the odd piece when the inspiration strikes!